DAMASCUS REFUGEE SITREP 3

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000321

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM F/O, NEA/ELA, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2012
TAGS: PHUM PREL SY IZ
SUBJECT: DAMASCUS REFUGEE SITREP 3

Classified By: Classified by Charge Michael H. Corbin for reasons b. an
d d.


1. (SBU) This is the third in a series of Embassy
Damascus's updates on Iraqi refugee processing in Syria.


2. (C) SUMMARY: Post continued its coordination on Iraqi
refugee issues with meetings with the regional IOM director,
Canadian Conoffs, and UNHCR representatives. Post is
following developments in the refugee resettlement process as
well financial issues on the assistance side. The central
UNHCR food distribution center closed because of planned
construction and a new location is being sought. The MFA
asked UNHCR to withdraw requests for DHS circuit riders to
interview three Iranian Ahwazis. The Chief of the UNHCR
Executive Committee visited Damascus, and IOM Damascus is
sending two visitors to Washington. Finally, Post oversaw
physical improvements to the DHS interviewing rooms at UNHCR.
END SUMMARY


3. (SBU) IOM REGIONAL DIRECTOR IN DAMASCUS: Charge paid a
courtesy call on IOM's visiting Regional Director Shahad
Haque on April 30 at IOM's Damascus Office. Mr. Haque took
over the regional director position six months ago and was in
Damascus on an orientation visit. A Bangledeshi diplomat on
detail, Mr. Haque discussed making IOM more engaged with host
country governments while maintaining IOM's reputation as an
effective operational organization, without offering any
specific example of changes or actions he planned take. Mr.
Haque later met with various officials at the Syrian Foreign
Ministry. While aware of the challenges PRM has faced with
coordinating actions between the various IOM headquarters
under his supervision, Haque offered no insight into how he
planned to improve their coordination or commitments.


4. (SBU) REFUGEES BY THE NUMBERS: IOM staffers shared with
post their upcoming caseload numbers, effective April 30th.
Two-hundred forty four more cases (735 individuals) are
scheduled to be interviewed by May 21,the end of the current
DHS circuit ride. For the circuit ride beginning May 23, 269
cases (859 individuals) are ready to be scheduled. IOM says
that for FY 2008 over 3000 individuals had been processed and
they were on target to meet their goal of 4000 by the end of
FY 2008.

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SARG Intervenes on Ahwazis
--------------


5. (C) UNHCR Resident Representative Jolles informed Charge
May 5 that he had been convoked by Vice Foreign Minister
Miqdad's Office Director Hussam Alaa on the case of three
Ahwazi Iranians. UNHCR had submitted the cases to IOM for
interview by the current DHS circuit ride. Alaa told Jolles
he wanted "nothing to raise the profile" of the current U.S.
resettlement program and he asked UNHCR to withdraw the
Iranian cases from consideration by DHS. Although UNHCR
shares our strong concerns about SARG treatment of Ahwazis,
UNHCR believes the SARG will agree to other countries
resettling the three cases. UNHCR has asked IOM to withdraw
the cases, but sees no problem with the few other non-Iraqi
cases. COMMENT: While we continue to follow SARG
mistreatment of Ahwazis, we believe at this point we should
defer to UNHCR, given the importance of Iraqi resettlement.
We note that despite current bilateral tensions, the SARG
officially confirmed its willingness to continue the IOM/DHS
resettlement program. END COMMENT.


6. (SBU) DHS AT UNHCR: This week, the DHS circuit riders
moved to a Monday through Friday work week. UNHCR was
pleased to have the extra workday during the week (Sunday),
allowing their staff to reduce weekend and after-hours
overtime. Over the weekend Post supervised contractor
modifications to the plexiglas in the DHS interview rooms at
UNHCR. The DHS team leader commented that the improved
acoustics will result in better quality interviews.


7. (SBU) CANADIAN OUTREACH: Conoff met with consular officers
at the Canadian Embassy on May 1 to compare notes on refugee
processing. The GOC has a CY 2008 goal of 1220
UNHCR-referred refugee cases, with an additional 800
privately-referred cases, for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The
Canadian conoffs estimated that 95 percent of the UNHCR cases
will be Iraqi. They also said that their number of UNHCR
referrals was dropping off and they were concerned that an
increase of USG processing in 2009 will further reduce their
UNHCR referrals.


8. (SBU) IOM STAFF IN WASHINGTON: IOM Staffers Taj Jarous
and Ola Younes arrive in Washington on May 9 for a Cultural
Orientation course. Ms. Jarous is the Damascus OPE
supervisor and IOM Damascus Acting Deputy. Ms. Younes
supervises the OPE orientation programs. They are anxious to
meet with PRM staff the week of May 12.


9. (C) FOOD DISTRIBUTION: UNHCR Public Information Officer
Sybella Wilkes told us that, despite hopes that the current
food distribution could be completed before planned
construction on the site of the principal Iraqi refugee food
distribution center in Damascus, the SARG moved ahead and
closed the center on April 29 (the adjacent Ministry of
Tourism had been forced to close the previous week). UNHCR
was seven days into the latest food distribution. Roughly 85
thousand Iraqi refugees remain without their allotted
rations. Wilkes reported that the SARG had informed UNHCR
near the start of the year that they were looking to reclaim
the land being used by the distribution center at some
unspecified date in the future, but gave guarantees that any
moves by the SARG would be conducted in a dignified way to
minimize the impact on the distribution project. Wilkes
indicated that the food distribution center land will be used
for one of the Syrian First Lady's "Discovery Zone" projects
- play areas for children. UNHCR contacts report that they
have received thousands of phone call regarding the
disruption in food distribution, with many Iraqis reportedly
speculating that this is part of a larger effort by the SARG
to drive out the Iraqi refugee population. UNHCR in concert
with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is looking at
alternative locations, with the SARC head quarters in
Harasta, another Damascus suburb, as being the likely
location. Wilkes added that this site is rather inconvenient
for the Iraqi refugees and given the increases in the price
of both food and transportation, this move will serve to
compound costs significantly for both UNHCR and the Iraqis
who need to travel to the new location. Wilkes reported that
they hope to have a new food distribution site open in a
week, but noted that many Iraqis had been expecting the food
and are in a difficult position because of this delay.


10. (SBU) FINANCIAL CRUNCH AND APPEAL LAUNCH: UNHCR
representatives reported that come mid-August the funds
allotted for Syria (USD 56 million) to assist Iraqi refugees
for the fiscal year will be exhausted. Without an infusion
of funds come August, health, food and education assistance
to Iraqi refugees will need to be dramatically scaled back.
UNHCR representatives indicated that they could continue
operations through the end of the calendar year with an
infusion of roughly USD 15 million and may be able to "scrape
by" on USD 10 million.


11. (C) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VISIT: The head of the UNHCR
Executive Committee, Netherlands Ambassador Boudewign Van
Eenennaam, visited Damascus this week. Ambassador Eenennaam
met with the Ministers of Education and Health along with
Vice FM Miqdad, SARC President Dr. Attar, and First Lady Asma
(Akhras) Al-Asad. He was here to familiarize himself with
UNHCR Syria issues/concerns and reportedly pressured the SARG
on the issues of visas for Iraqi refugees and the food
distribution center. He also took some time to solicit
support from donor country representatives for UNHCR
budgetary needs. With the First Lady, he raised the food
distribution center closure and Iraqi concerns about rumors
suggesting the SARG would not continue to re-issue visas (as
they have been) for those refugees seeking to re-register
their children for the next school year in Syrian schools.
Mrs. Asad promised to look into both matters. According to
Eenennaam, Miqdad, while in the context of expressing general
negativity towards the U.S., made a special point to complain
about the slow pace of the U.S./Iraqi resettlement program.
Ambassador Eenennaam informed Charge that he would soon be in
Washington DC to discuss his findings.
CORBIN